Mountains

Question 1

What do mountains affect?

Answer 1

Mountains affect both temperature and rainfall.

Question 2

Where on a mountain is it much colder?

Answer 2

It is colder at the top of a mountain or mountain range than at the bottom because temperature decreases with altitude.

The top of the mountain might not always be high enough for snow to fall on it, but it will be colder than its base. This is why there is often snow at the top of a mountain while its base is clear.

Question 3

Windward side

Answer 3

If a warm, moist wind blows from the ocean toward a mountain range, it often brings rain to the side of the mountains facing wind - the windward side.

This is because air is forced to rise over the mountains, and so cools and condenses.

Question 4

Leeward side

Answer 4

The air then descends on the other side of the mountains, the leeward side. This air is dry and no or little rain falls on the leeward side. The land on the leeward side of a mountain is said to be in the rainshadow of the mountains.